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Important update from TheSchoolRun

For the past 13 years, TheSchoolRun has been run by a small team of mums working from home, dedicated to providing quality educational resources to primary school parents. Unfortunately, rising supplier costs and falling revenue have made it impossible for us to continue operating, and we’ve had to make the difficult decision to close. The good news: We’ve arranged for another educational provider to take over many of our resources. These will be hosted on a new portal, where the content will be updated and expanded to support your child’s learning.

What this means for subscribers:

  • Your subscription is still active, and for now, you can keep using the website as normal — just log in with your usual details to access all our articles and resources*.
  • In a few months, all resources will move to the new portal. You’ll continue to have access there until your subscription ends. We’ll send you full details nearer the time.
  • As a thank you for your support, we’ll also be sending you 16 primary school eBooks (worth £108.84) to download and keep.

A few changes to be aware of:

  • The Learning Journey weekly email has ended, but your child’s plan will still be updated on your dashboard each Monday. Just log in to see the recommended worksheets.
  • The 11+ weekly emails have now ended. We sent you all the remaining emails in the series at the end of March — please check your inbox (and spam folder) if you haven’t seen them. You can also follow the full programme here: 11+ Learning Journey.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]. Thank you for being part of our journey it’s been a privilege to support your family’s learning.

*If you need to reset your password, it will still work as usual. Please check your spam folder if the reset email doesn’t appear in your inbox.

Taking the 11+ test in Cumbria

Cumbria 11+ guide for parents
With only one grammar school in Cumbria, we explain what you need to know about entering your child for the entrance test.

Which schools require an 11+ pass?

There is only one grammar school in Cumbria: Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith, a mixed school with 120 places for Year 7 pupils.

What do the tests involve?

Children applying for the Queen Elizabeth School are required to sit two papers, one in English and one in mathematics, held on the same day. Both will be multiple choice. 

What version of the test is used?

Queen Elizabeth School uses GL Assessment Tests.

How do you arrange for your child to take the test?

In order for your child to be considered for a place at Queen Elizabeth, you need to fill in the school’s own entrance test application form and return it to the school. This is available on the school’s website. Once your child has taken the test and received their results, you'll need to apply for a place using the Local Authority application form. Further information about applying for a secondary school place in Cumbria is available on the LA website.

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Where are the tests held?

Children applying for Queen Elizabeth will take the entrance test at the school.

What is the pass mark?

The range of successful scores varies from year to year depending on the ability and number of children sitting the tests and also on the relative difficulty of the test papers. But as a good indicator, parents can see the test scores of children who were allocated places in the last few years on the school website. Over the past seven years, the lowest qualifying score has ranged from 244 to 282. The results are age-adjusted so that the younger children in the year group are not at a disadvantage.

How can I help prepare my child?

At the school’s open evening, past papers are always on display, and before parents register their children for the test, the Deputy Head visits local primary schools and works through some sample questions with the pupils. As part of the school’s application pack, parents are given details of where they can buy relevant practice material.

Please note that while every effort has been made to ensure the information we provide about individual schools is accurate, the admissions arrangements for Year 7 entry change regularly and it is essential to check for up-to-date advice on schools' official websites.

NB: TheSchoolRun receives a small commission from sales made through Exam Paper Plus.